My kitchen is starting to become odorous with damp spots, yellowing, and water-loss, what can I do?

4/22/2020 (Permalink)

SERVPRO in Great Falls can and will mitigate your water damage problem

Staying calm and contacting professional assistance is your best chance of returning your Great Falls home to a pre-incident condition.

To reduce call-out times, you may want to use water restorers local to the Great Falls region. SERVPRO is close by and ready to help.

How can I predict potential water issues in my home?

Homeowners that require water cleanup in the Great Falls region always ask us how to avoid making the same mistake twice. Sometimes water-loss is unavoidable as the result of an external factor such as flash flooding or excessive rainfall. But some types of water problems are wholly avoidable by conducting regular maintenance checks and, in older homes, considering updating pipes, boilers, or plumbing.

What should I check to avoid a water loss scenario at home?

- Regular inspection, maintenance, and updating of appliances in wetrooms around the house
- A professional inspection of the interior and exterior plumbing with a particular focus on ensuring exterior pipes have sufficient insulation
- Avoid leaving running water beyond what is necessary for use
- Being aware of changes to water pressure in the home
- Check wetrooms at least once a year for potential sealant wear or leaking
- Be vigilant against unpleasant odors as well as discoloration in some regions of the home. These can be the initial signs of water damage.

What steps can I take to reduce loss in the home during a water emergency?

While waiting for SERVPRO technicians to arrive, you may want to consider shutting off water supply pipes at the source to prevent water from continuing to pour into your home. If the source of moisture is not immediately apparent, shutting off the water at the source can be especially useful. If possible, open windows in the affected area. Ventilating space can be essential in preventing high humidity levels and microbial growth. As far as is possible, seal the affected area from other rooms of the house. You can seal affected areas by shutting doors and placing a dry towel up against the door. Try to avoid introducing chemical agents to the area as these can interfere with the professional procedure.

Do professional restorers need to deconstruct parts of my home when conducting water restoration?

SERVPRO endeavor to perform restoration with a minimum loss, inconvenience, and expense to the homeowner. Our culture is to restore and not replace structural elements and contents whenever possible. Our water restoration technicians (WRT) use a range of measuring equipment to avoid using the aggressive removal of building materials. Moisture sensors can be placed on the surface of walls and measure the temperature at the surface level. Using these measurements, our technicians can accurately predict the extent of water migration and whether it affects cavities as well as open spaces.

Why does paintwork peel on the ceiling as well as on upper and lower walls?

The peeling of paintwork and wallpaper can be a sign of water residing inside cavities of the home. The water inside walls can condensate on outer walls causing dripping, discoloration as well as cracks. Other symptoms of cavity water damage may include a sagging ceiling or unpleasant smells.

Can you restore my home when water is present in wall cavities or crawlspaces?

Our service incorporates advanced structural drying (ASD) techniques into our restoration. Structural cavities can be a headache to dry because there is restrictive access to space, while most drying techniques require some form of ventilation. SERVPRO can ventilate inner cavities by drilling small holes beneath the baseboard then attaching air hoses or injectors. These setups can ventilate hot air into the cavity while moisture sensors on the exterior wall can measure how effective the drying technique is in real-time.

What equipment do you need to drywall cavities properly?

- Drying mats for floors that use tiles, floorboards or laminates
- Thermal imaging cameras, moisture sensors as well as boroscopes to assess the effectiveness of the drying strategy
- Air moving equipment using axial and centrifugal designs for increased efficiency
- Drills, as well as other appropriate tools.

-Injectidry systems for wall cavities as well as other restrictive spaces

Homeowners do not need to panic when facing a water emergency. Professional restorers can help to inform you of the potentially dangerous outcome of a water situation as well as performing the necessary tasks to avoid that outcome. Mold growth can be a typical result of a water loss scenario in the home. However, homeowners that seek out professional assistance early can often reduce the impact of mold growth or prevent it entirely. Our staff incorporates mold restriction methods during water cleanup to ensure that your home gets back to its preloss condition with minimal risk of secondary damage.

If you need assistance with a water emergency, do not hesitate to contact SERVPRO of Helena & Great Falls at (406) 458-6008.